May 3 Weekly Brief!

Against the stunning backdrop of the LaCa Projects Gallery in Uptown, Sustain Charlotte welcomed over 300 guests to celebrate the achievements of dozens of sustainability leaders based in the Charlotte region last Wednesday evening.

Sunday is Open Streets 704, an event that will literally open three miles of city streets for an afternoon just for people!

Look for Sustain Charlotte’s tent on the route at Commonwealth and The Plaza for the much anticipated protected bike lane demo on The Plaza.

If you show up in style by decorating your bike, enter the costume contest by coming to the main-stage (Pecan and Commonwealth) at 1:00pm for 1:10pm judging! Prizes will be given in separate children and adult competitions. Blue Blaze Brewing gift cards hang in the balance!

A BIG congratulations to our April Way2Go CLT team leaders and prize winners!

Way2Go Willie tracks the very real difference that your participation in Way2Go CLT is making each month!

Top participating companies in April:

1. HDR2. Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Department3. Childress Klein

Top participating neighborhoods in April:

1. Dilworth 2. Plaza Midwood 3. Sedgefield

Winners of our April prize drawing (will be contacted by email):

Nathan D. won the Charlotte B-Cycle Annual Membership ($65 value)! Adam R. won the $20 gift card to Birdsong Brewing! Krissy O. won the Coffee and 1/2 off food item from Not Just Coffee!Joe D. won the Basil Roll from Basil Thai Cuisine! Theresa R. won the CLT branded pint glass & cutting board from Green With Envy Cathleen D. won the Coffee and a Thermo-Mug from Port City Java Will W. won the $50 gift card to Something Classic in Uptown! Maresa G. won the grand prize -- a pair of “Nooka” Mercury Style sunglasses from Score Retail Lounge ($199 value)!

Want chances to win more awesome prizes in May? You'll earn one entry for every 10 trips you log biking, walking, riding transit, carpooling or teleworking. You can log ANY trip of ANY length!

Not registered yet? It's time to join the fun! Visit myway2goclt.org/register to join an existing team, start a new team, or go solo.

Local residents like you play a critical role in ensuring we have the resources to carry out our work in the community to inspire choices that lead to a healthy, equitable and vibrant community for generations to come! Click below to be the change and become a sustaining member today!

Join for $10/month or $120/year and you'll get a Sustain Charlotte T-shirt!

Join us for a preview celebration of Whole Foods Market Waverly, opening at the corner of 485 and Providence Road. Enjoy great food, great music (Jim Garrett Band), and plenty of fun for the whole family – even the four-legged members! All proceeds from this event (hosted by Whole Foods Market) will be donated to Sustain Charlotte! (Register here.)

We need several volunteers to help with registration and ticket sales at this event!

Please respond to this email or email Branyn directly at branyn.calegar@sustaincharlotte.org if interested!

Attend a Gold Line II Public Meeting!

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is hosting three public meetings to provide the community with an update on CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 2 construction. Attendees will learn about current and future construction and will have the opportunity to ask questions. There will be an introductory presentation at the beginning of each meeting. The information presented at each meeting will be the same.

Using pedestrian wayfinding signs, #WalkCLT aims to raise awareness of the role that walking can play as a mode of transportation and the many social, environmental, and economic benefits walking generates for ourselves and our community!

On June 2, we are bringing this initiative to FreeMoreWest and we want YOU to be a part of it!

If you are interested in helping with pre-event sign placement (on May30th) and day-of-event preparations (on June 2nd) for #WalkCLT, click here to sign up! Feel free to sign up for both shifts and invite friends to join you (just make sure they sign up as well)!

All volunteers will receive an event t-shirt and wristband to participate in the event!

"Mecklenburg County’s water quality chief [Rusty Rozzelle] said Wednesday he is 'disgusted' by state legislators in his own political party who are trying to kill longstanding shoreline protection rules along the Catawba River and its lakes, and creeks in Mecklenburg and other counties...'We are smart enough in this day and age to have both growth and a clean environment, but only if we use good science, which is not what’s going on in our state legislature right now,' he said." We agree with Mr. Rozzelle -- growth and water quality can and must co-exist. Click here to learn what you can do to help.

"The latest addition to a 26-mile trail and greenway system that will stretch from Pineville to UNC Charlotte, through uptown, will be unveiled Wednesday. The Cross Charlotte Trail, when completed by the city and Mecklenburg County, will link commuters and recreational users to other trails, transportation, major employers and neighborhoods." We are thrilled about the new opportunities to travel by foot and bike that this segment will bring to the 80,000 people who live within a half-mile of the proposed route and more!

"Another apartment building is under construction along a Blue Line light rail extension stop just north of uptown, adding to the wave of development that’s reshaping what was long a largely industrial corridor next to the train tracks." Residential development is heating up close to Uptown along the Blue Line Extension! But so far, it doesn't look like much of it will be affordable.

Come join Sustain Charlotte for a family-friendly cycling tour of the newest public art installations from Inside|Out Charlotte! Participants will learn the significance of these equity-inspired art pieces and the story of how they came to West Charlotte. Meet fellow art enthusiasts, community members and cyclists of all abilities on this relaxed pace, low-stress route along the Irwin Creek and Stewart Creek Greenways that welcomes everyone! Festivities kick off at 10am in Seversville Park and end with lunch or a beer at Blue Blaze Brewery at noon! The ride is free! A $20 donation benefits Sustain Charlotte's bicycle program and advocacy work!

* May 7 - Open Streets 704 *

1:00pm - 5:00pm between Independence Park and Veterans Park

Taking cues from similar events around the country and the world, Open Streets 704 aims to build a better, healthier, connected community by encouraging Charlotte and Mecklenburg area residents to walk, bicycle, and experience the city together in a way that’s just not possible in a car. On may 7th, this event will literally open a length of city streets just for cars! Be sure to stop by our activity booth (intersection of Commonwealth Ave. and The Plaza) near the protected bike land demo!Learn more here.

Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking! Our Monthly Mixers provide an opportunity to learn more about us, our partners, and meet others interested in local sustainability issues. At 6:45, our program will begin and you'll hear from Sustain Charlotte Gold Partner Epic Capital Wealth Management who will tell you about their sustainability efforts! This is a family-friendly event and everyone is warmly welcomed. Please be sure to register to let us know you're coming:

Join us for a preview celebration of Whole Foods Market Waverly, opening at the corner of 485 and Providence Road. Enjoy great food, great music (Jim Garrett Band), and plenty of fun for the whole family – even the four-legged members! All proceeds from this event (hosted by Whole Foods Market) will be donated to Sustain Charlotte! Tickets are $10 for non Sustain Charlotte members and $5 for Sustain Charlotte members and include a BBQ plate (vegan options available) and full admission to all booths at the event. Register here!

The Fresh Expo is an exciting event that showcases local, regional and national businesses and organizations that are innovative leaders in healthy, green, eco and sustainable living impacting the Charlotte metropolitan community. We'll have a booth at this event! Join us to learn about health and wellness, cleaner technologies and green innovations in transportation, energy and sustainability! Use promo code "symphonypark" to get FREE access to general admission. Click here to learn more.

MANY THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

Is your company interested in joining the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network? Our generous partners play a critical role in supporting our work. Through our corporate membership program, we provide year-round brand exposure, positive publicity, and business development opportunities to those businesses and nonprofits that are helping make our community more sustainable through their products, services, or commitment to move their organization towards greater sustainability. Become a partner today!